Pneumatic action for player pianos



July 5, 19 J. SAUEYRLAND PNEUMATIC ACTIQN FOR PLAYER PIANOS Filed March 7, 1956 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 IN VENTOR.

JOSEPH SAUERLAND ATTORNEY y 5, 1960 J. SAUERLAND 2,943,525

PNEUMATIC ACTION FOR PLAYER PIANOS Filed March 7, 1956 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR.

JOSEPH SAUERLAND TTORNEY e 2,943,525 Patented July 5, 1960 p r 2,943,525 PNEUMATIC ACTION FOR PLAYER PIANOS Joseph Sauerland, West New York, N.J., assignor to Hardman, Peck & Co., New York, N.Y., a corporation of New York Filed Mar. 7, 1956, Ser. No. 570,084

Claims. (Cl. 84-25) invention relates to a pneumatic action for player pianos and more specifically such action particularly adapted for use with spinet type piano cases.

With increased .use of spinet type pianos, it is necessary to take into account the compressed types of piano actions used in such pianos, when providing a spinet type piano with" a pneumatic player arrangement. 'In such piano actions the-wippen is close to the piano keys and the interposition of the pneumatic player arrangement results anumber of problems affecting the quality of themusic derived from such player pianos.

Accordingly, one object of this invention is to provide for use in a spinet type piano case, a pneumatic action which is easily installedin the caseand in which the individual pneumatic units may be readily regulated for optimum coaction with the individual notes of the piano action.

Another object of this invention is to provide for use in a piano of the character described, improved means for coordinating the operation of the piano wippen with actuating means of the pneumatic action.

A further object of this invention is to provide in a pneumatic player action, improved means for adjusting the stroke or touch of the player pneumatics.

Still another object of this invention is to provide in a pneumatic player action, improved means for guiding the player action wires.

Other objects of this invention will in part by obvious and in part hereinafter pointed out.

In the drawings, Fig. l is a side elevational view of a pneumatic player action embodying the invention;

Fig. 2 is a partial top plan view thereof;

Fig. 3 is a side elevational view showing the lower bank of pneumatics;

Fig. 4 is a partial top plan view thereof with parts omitted;

Fig. 5 is a side elevational view of a modified form of the invention;

Fig. 6 is a front elevational view thereof.

Referring in detail to the drawing, and particularly to Figs. 1 and 2, 10 designates one of a series of piano wippens which operate the piano hammers, not shown, in a manner known in the art. An upper pneumatic assembly 11 for actuating wippens 10, comprises a shelf 12 with individual pneumatics 13 mounted on the underside thereof and with a forwardly projecting wire guide and stop rail 14 secured to the upperside thereof.

A lift wire 15 extends vertically between each wippen 10 and an associated pneumatic 13, being arranged for up and down movement. The lower end 16 of each wire 15 has afiixed thereto a lift finger 17 having a forwardly projecting portion 18 which underlies a projecting portion 19 of an associated wippen 10. An abutment member 20 having a felt facing 21 is adjustably mounted on the underside of wippen portion 19 by means of a screw 22; the abutment member 20 being engaged by lift finger 17 upon upward movement of wire 15.

A lift arm 23 is secured at its rear to the underside of movable portion 131: of pneumatic 13, the arm having a forwardly projecting portion 24 formed with a through opening 25 through which an intermediate portion of wire 25 passes. An abutment member 26 having a felt facing 27 is threaded on a threaded portion 28 of wire 15 immediately above arm portion 24, thus imparting upward movement to the wire 15 upon upward movement of pneumatic portion 13a, thereby lifting the projecting end of wippen 10. 1

The forward, projecting edge of guide rail 14 is formed with an open ended slot 29 for each wire 15; the slots being closed by a removable strip 30 affixed to the rail edge. The upper end of each wire 15 is bent to provide parallel portions 31, 32 receivable in slots 29. It will portion of wire 15 adjacent the underside of rail 14, may be adjusted to regulate and limit the upward movement of the wire? As shown in Fig. '3, the lower bank of pneumatics 11a associated with wippens 10a, operate the same bymeans of individual pneumatics 13 secured to the underside of shelf 12a with lift'arms 23afixed to the movable portions 13a of said pneumatics.

of wippen 10a and an abutment member 20a is adjustably mounted on wippen 10a by a screw 22a, for engagement. by lift arm portion 24a. Upward movement of thelowerj bank of pneumatics is adjustably limited by means of stop members 33a having felt facings and mounted in a rail 34 by a screw 35, the members 33a being disposed in overlying relation to lift arm portions 24a.

Alternative means for limiting the upward movement of the pneumatics 13 in the lower bank 11a, is shown in Figs. 5, 6. Here a lower wire guide rail 36 is associated with lower shelf 12a, the projecting forward edge of the rail being formed with through openings 37 to pass upright wires 38 therethrough. Each wire 38 has an abutment member 39 fixed to the lower end thereof for engagement by lift arm portion 24a of the lower pneumatics 13. The upper ends of wires 38 pass through openings 40 formed in upper wire guide rail 14a and stop members 41 adjustably mounted on threaded portions of said wires are engageable with the underside of rail 14a to limit the upward movement of the pneumatics 13 on the lower bank of pneumatics 11a.

As shown in Fig. 6, the wires 38 alternate with wires 15; the lift portions 18 similarly alternating with abutment members 39 and associated lift arm portions 24a. The upper bank of pneumatics 11 are operated by means of guided wires 15, as previously described, to actuate the corresponding wippens 10.

With the arrangement of wires 15 as shown, accurate movement of the lifting means is obtained, and further, precise adjustments may be made as to the limit of the lifting action of the wires, as well as for lining up the player action with the piano action, through adjustment of screws 22, 22a.

As various changes might be made in the embodiments of the invention herein shown without departing from the spirit thereof, it is understood that all matter herein described shall be deemed illustrative and not by way of limitation except as set forth in the appended claims.

Having thus disclosed my invention, I claim as new and desire to protect by Letters Patent:

1. In a player piano, a wippen having a project-ing portion, a pneumatic, means above said wippen for mounting said pneumatic, wire guide means formed with an opening on said mounting means, a wire element arranged for free movement relative to said guide means and said wippen, means on one end of said wire element 7 The projecting portion 24a of. I the lift arms 23a is disposed beneath a projecting portion extending freely toward said wippen for abutting the projecting portion of said wippen -for actuating said wippen upon movement of said Wire element, cooperating means on said pneumatic and said wire element for moving said wire element in response to "operation of said pneumatic, and means on the-otherendof'saidwire element :within the opening of said guide -means for preventing rotation of said wire =element about itsexis and concurrent rotation of said abutment means upon movement of said wire element. a

2. -In a player piano as in claim '1 wherein the means on the-otherend of said wire element comprises parallel, interconnected wire portions, and said opening *on "the guide means comprises a slot in said guide means for freely passing said parallel w-ire port-ions while preventing rotation o'fsaid wire portions about the axis ofsaid wire element. i

3. In a player piano as -in claim 1 wherei'nsaidwire element moving means comprisesa lift member projecting from the movable portion of *said pneumatic, said lift member being formed with a through *opening'ffor freely passing an intermediate portion of said wire element, and an abutment member movably mounted on said wire element and engageable by said lift member,

said abutment member being movable to selected-positions along the length of said wire element.

-4. In a-player piano, a bank of pneumatics,=a wippen having a projecting portion for each pneumatic, ashelf above said wippen for'mounting said pneumaticsya guide rail projecting from said shelf, a wire element'for e'ach pneumatic, said wire elements being vertically disposed between each pneumatic and its associated wippen, a lifter-arm connected only tothe lower end of each-wire element, said arm including a projecting abutment portion extending freely toward and engageable with the projecting portion of the associated wippen for actuating said wippen in response to movement of said wire element, an arm projecting from the movable portion of each pneumatic, each of said last mentioned arms being formed with an opening to freely pass intermediate portions of the associated wire elements, an abutment member adjustably mounted'onan intermediate'portion ofeach wire element for engagement by the arm ,projectingfrom the associated pneumatic, the upper endof each wire element comprising parallel interconnected wire portions, said guide rail being formed with a plurality of transversely located slots to freely pass the parallel wire'portions of the respective wire elements while ,restraining rotational movement of said wire elements about the axes thereof.

5. In a player piano as in claim 4 and further including stop means adjustably mounted on each wire element for engagement with said guide rail -for limiting =the upward movement of said w'ire elements.

References Cited in' the'zfile of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Great Britain n.. Mar. 1,, 1937 

